Planning for Everything: The Design of Paths and Goals By Peter Morville Semantic Studios, 2018

Planning is essential, and many of us don’t do it very well. Fear, uncertainty, and powerlessness hold us back. Our lives are messy, and the challenges we face are multi-faceted and complex. Who better than one of the world’s most prominent information architects to help make sense of the mess?

On the surface, Peter Morville’s new book, Planning for Everything, seems like a hands-on guide to making better plans. And it is; it includes practical frameworks that can help with your planning. But there’s much below the surface that makes this book special. It goes deep into the subject, examining how we envision future possibilities, set goals, decide among various compelling options, strategize, act, and reflect. Throughout it weaves examples and stories both from the author’s personal experience — running marathons, leading a consultancy, parenting — and from literary sources that range from the Bhagavad Gita to Yuval Noah Harari. The result is not only practical, but also entertaining and inspiring.

This short book is long on wisdom; I left it feeling as though I’d just spent a calm afternoon with an insightful mentor. If you’re facing a major life decision (or even a minor one), it behooves you to read it.

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